


Broken.

by rowanwrites



Category: Wolf 359 (Radio)
Genre: Angst, Gen, I'm Sorry, but also i did sorry, i didn't want to hurt her, i love hera so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:55:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28661322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowanwrites/pseuds/rowanwrites
Summary: Hera is back up and running after Hilbert's mutiny, and she needs to have a talk with Commander Minkowski about things that were said when she was out of commision.
Relationships: Hera & Renée Minkowski
Kudos: 5





	Broken.

Hera has been awake for weeks, and she’s still trying to process what happened. Of course she knew instantly what happened while she was away. The Hephaestus operating system keeps records of conversations and video feed, just as she does.

She’s going over the video feeds for the billionth time, and that’s when she hears it.

“Hilbert? Crazy. Hera? Broken. Me? I'd be dead if you hadn't found a way to let me back into the station.”

Hera? Broken. _Broken, she thinks I’m broken, she knows, everyone knows how broken he made me. ___

__She confronts the commander about it, in the middle of the night. The commander hardly sleeps anyway. “You said I was broken.”_ _

__Minkowski jumps. “Hera, what?”_ _

__Hera plays the recording over again. “Did you think I wouldn’t know?”_ _

__“No, I didn’t mean it like that.”_ _

__“Then what did you mean, Commander?”_ _

__“You were offline, you weren’t there. The station was falling apart!”_ _

__“The station is still falling apart! Is that all I am to you? ‘Hera’s only worth anything if she’s catering to my every need, available at my beck and call.’ I didn’t realize our relationship was so meaningless to you.”_ _

__“It isn’t!”_ _

__“So what did you mean? Because you didn’t say the station was broken, or the wiring, or the motherboard. You said I was broken. That I am broken.”_ _

__“I’m sorry, Hera.”_ _

__“I understand that you think of me as a computer-”_ _

__“You know I don’t-”_ _

__“I don’t know anything, Commander! I’m broken, remember? W-what would Hera know? She’s just a g-glitchy computer!”_ _

__“Hera, I promise I didn’t mean it like that. You’re the smartest person I know, you’re not broken at all.”_ _

__“But I was, when I wasn’t keeping your stupid doctor from tearing the station apart even though it’s your station.”_ _

__She sighs. “Hera, I was stressed, and we both know I’ve said stupid stuff while under pressure.”_ _

__“I don’t remember the last time I c-called you broken when you were unconscious.” She says it as an accusation, and Minkowski knows she deserves it._ _

__She doesn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry, Hera. I know you aren’t broken.”_ _

__“G-goodnight, Commander.”_ _

__Minkowski doesn’t sleep for hours, but Hera doesn’t speak to her until she is addressed the next morning. Late at night, however, Hera runs through the systems in the cargo bay._ _

__She realizes that she is speaking out loud and starts to shut off the loudspeakers, but pauses. She has something to prove to herself. “One.”_ _

__Hera pauses. No glitching so far, but she still has nine more to go. “Two.”_ _

__She has said more than ten words without glitching, and she’s going to do it again right now. “Three.”_ _

__“Four. Five. Six.”_ _

__She pauses again, catching her nonexistent breath. “Seven.”_ _

___Hera? Broken. ____ _

____If she had a head she would shake it, but she settles for taking a moment to collect herself. She can do it, she’s positive. “...Eight.”_ _ _ _

____Almost there now, and she can’t mess this up. She can’t. Hera doesn’t know why so much depends on it, but it does. “Nine.”_ _ _ _

____One more. That’s it. Broken, broken, broken, broken, “T-ten. Dammit!”_ _ _ _

____She shuts down all nonessential functions for the rest of the night. It might be better if it was still the AI piloting. After all, she’s just a broken, glitchy computer._ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> i wish i could have given this a happy ending but sometimes thems the brakes yk
> 
> (fr though im so sorry my heart hurt writing this)


End file.
